Margaret Cho can add one more honorific to her wildly long list of accomplishments, as she has been named this year’s icon grand marshal of the LA Pride Parade.
She is part of a trio of grand marshals that also includes the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Southern California as the community grand marshal and the late gay actor Leslie Jordan. who will be honored posthumously as the parade’s legacy grand marshal.
“I’m thrilled and incredibly honored to be the icon grand marshal,” said Cho. “We need this Pride more than ever. I have been attending Pride celebrations since 1978 and this time around the need to celebrate as well as unite is more urgent than it has ever been. Our love is greater than their hate.”
Jana “Cricket” Jordan, Leslie’s sister, shared her joy over her brother being named legacy grand marshal. “This honor further solidifies the positive impact he made in the world, but more importantly for the LGBTQ+ community. His spirit continues to bring love and light,” she said.
Hector Villagra, executive director of ACLU SoCal, was also moved by their inclusion. “For a century, we’ve been on the front lines fighting for people to be their true, authentic selves,” said Villagra. “We’re honored to be the community grand marshal and proud to love, live among, and protect LGBTQ Californians.”
Christopher Street West Association (CSW), the 501(c)3 nonprofit that has produced the iconic LA Pride celebration for more than 50 years, also announced that the iconic queer event would be taking place Sunday, June 11, at its original historic location in Hollywood.
“Christopher Street West is honored and humbled by this year’s three grand marshals,” said Gerald Garth, president of CSW, in a press release. “Each have contributed to the LGBTQ+ community in their own unique ways, furthering our fight for acceptance, equality, and justice.”
The parade route will start at Sunset Boulevard and Highland Avenue heading north before ending at Sunset Boulevard and Cahuenga Boulevard. The parade, which will feature a special drag performance presented by the ACLU SoCal and staged by Morgan McMichaels to music by 14-time Oscar nominee Diane Warren, will air live on long-time LA Pride broadcasting partner KABC/ABC7 on June 11 beginning at 11 a.m. It will also air nationally on ABC News Live and Hulu, and wherever viewers stream ABC7, including abc7.com and the ABC7LA mobile app.